Oklahoma Sooners assistant football coach Cale Gundy has resigned after using a derogatory word in a team meeting.
Gundy, who is the brother of Oklahoma State head football coach Mike Gundy, announced his resignation via social media on Sunday night, after he reportedly read the derogatory word off a distracted player’s iPad during a team meeting.
An graduate of the University of Oklahoma himself, Gundy has essentially been in Norman since the day he arrived on campus as a student. He played quarterback for the Sooners in the early ’90s, and then joined Bob Stoops’ coaching staff in the late ’90s. He’s been a runningbacks coach, a wide receivers coach and the assistant coach during his tenure.
According to Gundy, he was told players to take notes during a film session and when he notices one player wasn’t paying attention, he grabbed his iPad and read aloud what the player wrote down… and it seems to have included the n-word.
So, after saying the n-word aloud during the film session, Cale resigned.
The 50-year-old shared a statement, explaining his decision and what went down:
“I noticed a player was distracted and picked up his iPad and read aloud the words that were written on his screen. The words displayed had nothing to do with football. One particular word that I should never– under any circumstance– have uttered was displayed on that screen.
In the moment, I did not even realize what I was reading and, as soon as I did, I was horrified.
I want to be very clear: the words I read aloud from that screen were not my words. What I said was not malicious; it wasn’t even intentional. Still, I am mature enough to know that the word I said was shameful and hurtful, no matter my intentions.
The unfortunate reality is that someone in my position can cause harm without ever meaning to do so. In that circumstance, a man of character accepts accountability. I take responsibility for my mistake. I apologize.”
Gundy was working as wide receivers coach and assistant head coach, and L’Damian Washington will now take over the job.
First year head coach Brent Venables issued the following statement:
With that being said, a number of players, fans and former players have come to the defense of Gundy… and some fans are even suspicious of the facts. Some have speculated that he was pushed out by Venables, others suggesting he wants to follow former Sooner head coach, Lincoln Riley, to USC.
Conspiracy theories aside, current Cincinnati Bengals running back and former Oklahoma Sooner Joe Mixon stepped up to bat for coach Gundy, releasing a statement himself, noting that Gundy is not a “racist:”
“I know racists, I have witnessed both obvious and discreet forms of racism and have known and detested even more actual racist(s). Coach Gundy is the farthest thing from this type of person.
I spent every day for the 1,000 days I was in Norman with him, and I never saw anything that would lead anyone to believe this or think this.”
